VISIT TO FINLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1939, Page 6

VISIT TO FINLAND

NEW ZEALANDER’S TOUR AMBITIONS OF RUSSIA. EYES ON PORT OF PETSAMO. The strategical and commercial importance of the Finnish port of Petsamo, where Russia is now reported to be demanding the right to establish a naval base, has long been recognised and envied by the Russian Government, according to Dr L. C. McNickle, Inspector of Hospitals, who is at present in Auckland, and visited the port last May. Shortly before he and Mrs McNickle arrived there a Russian warship entered and inspected Petsamo without notification or permission To reach Petsamo Dr McNickle had to spend 22 hours travelling by train, from Helsinki to Rovamiemi, in the Arctic Circle, and then go due north for 531 kilometres by the only road in the world which leads to the Arctic Sea. When interviewed Dr McNickle said the road compared favourably in scenery and formation with the South Island tourist road through the Eglinton Valley, with the exception that the hills were much lower. There was snow all the way, being several feet deep in places. On the way Dr and Mrs McNickle had to cross ice-covered rivers by foot and some stretches of broken water in Lapland boats. The great majority of rivers and lakes, however, were frozen, and the two .New Zealanders saw reindeer sledges crossing them. There were odd patches of ploughed land to be seen ..peeping through the snow. Rye . had to be planted in the autumn and would mature in the few months of summer. For the firfct 250 miles there was dense forest, except on the high parts, the trees being Norwegian pine, spruce and silver birch. For the last 50 miles or so of the journey to the Arctic Sea there was only a very low and scrubby silver birch. At Kartimikivitumturi, a village 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Dr McNickle was surprised to find mills, brick kilns and nickel ore fields, with a huge hydroelectric undertaking to develop the ore works.

When Dr McNickle visited Lapland Russia was even then spoken of as casting covetous eyes on these ore fields. Prominent Finnish people to whom he spoke were very worried about the Russian threat, and in particular it was known that Russia was envious of the ice-free harbour ol Petsamo.

Although at a latitude of 69 deg. 70 min. north, Petsamo was ice-free all tlie year round and was obviously of groat strategical and commercial importance because it led to a free water passage right round the top of the Scandinavian countries. The harbours of Helsinki and Leningrad, while at a much lower latitude, were frozen in all but the mildest of winters.

Finland broke free from Russia in 1917-18 and everyone Dr McNickle met said how they had been oppressed and kept back under the Russian regime. They gloried in their freedom and had made incredible progress.